TikTok Faces Official Shutdown In The US Amid Ongoing Disputes
Unless a last-minute deal is reached, TikTok is set to be removed from the US.
By Syazwan Bahri — 10 Jan 2025, 01:31 PM
TikTok's time in the US is running out this month unless its government steps in with a last-minute change
For over a year now, the US has been pushing for a complete ban on TikTok unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells it to an American buyer.
The proposed ban was approved by both the US Senate and Congress last year and was officially signed into law by President Joe Biden. Since ByteDance has refused to sell TikTok, the app is set to be banned in the US in less than two weeks.
TikTok representatives have confirmed that the app will be shutting down in the US on 19 January
According to CBS News, this decision comes after a long battle with the US government, which has been pushing for a ban or a forced sale of TikTok due to concerns about its Chinese ownership.
While TikTok will still be available in other countries, losing access to the US market, one of its largest, will be a significant setback for the company. TikTok has argued that the ban violates freedom of speech, but those arguments have been rejected by US courts.
TikTok's fate in the US now rests in the hands of the country's Supreme Court
According to a previous court order, also known as a certiorari, the court will hear arguments this Friday, 10 January, to decide whether to temporarily block the ban on TikTok. This decision is crucial for TikTok, as its US operations are set to shut down in just a few days.
The Supreme Court will need to act quickly to prevent the ban from taking effect while it considers the case further.
TikTok's potential survival in the US may hinge on President-elect Donald Trump, who recently shifted his stance on the platform
Following his victory in the 2024 presidential election, Trump announced his opposition to a TikTok ban, praising the app for its effectiveness in engaging younger voters during his campaign.
However, Trump will not officially assume office until 20 January, a day after the ban is set to take effect, which could be too late to prevent TikTok from going offline. Whether the app could be reinstated later remains uncertain.
